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Digiscoping with Celestron Ultima - help needed (1 Viewer)

kneonlight

Well-known member
Hi

I recently bought a Celestron Ultima 80 spotting scope which I am really pleased with.

However I am struggling when it comes to digiscoping. I bought the celestron photo adapter bracket as this was the one recommended for this scope (by celestron anyway!). I tried using it with my compact camera (a fujifilm finepix AV). The photos that came out were great (at least I was pleased!) but I am having real problems setting it up.

The main problem seems to be that the adapter does not raise the camera high enough. Even at it's highest the platform for the camera seems too low. The circle of light that I need to zoom through is at the top of the viewfinder rather than at the centre meaning the camera cannot zoom through the vignetting (sp.)
By fiddling, twisting the camera, leaving the screw slightly loose I was able to get a few shots but at times it took ten minutes and I still couldn't see through the telescope with the camera.

Does anyone have any experience of digiscoping with this telescope or does anyone have any advice?
Should I get a different adapter or a camera with a lens higher up the camera (although to be honest the fujifilm finepix seems to have the lens in the standard place for a digital camera).

The other thing I was thinking about was giving up with the compact camera and getting a DSLR instead - although obviously this would be more expensive.

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thankyou
 
Hello, this is Gene. I am glad to communicate with you to see what we can do to either improve your images or assure you of the currenrt quality. I started out with a home made scope with a $10 achromatic scope lens from the Surplus Shed and one of the A series Canon cameras. I am now using an Orion 80 ED OTA.

I have several digiscoping cameras, including two 4/3s, a Lumix LX-3. and a Nikon P-6000, but my favorite is a little Lumix FH-1, (FS-10), perhaps a lot like the Fuji you are using. Bought another one off the Bay last night for $18. Of course the small sensor gives the little 12 Meg Lumix a 4X speed advantage over the 4/3 cameras, and a 16X advantage over a full frame. It only weighs 120 grams.

I have been lusting after a Celestron scope with the 80 or 100mm Fluorite objective, but have not gotten one yet. An important advantage of these scopes is that they take the standard 1 1/4 inch astro mount eyepieces. My FH-1 camera easily mounts on the top threads of the Baader Hyperion. Will your scope take these 1 1/4 inch barrel eyepieces?

I have a bird feeder in the back yard and a section of wire fence next to that for birds to land on waiting their turn at the feeder. I position myself about 12 meters away half hidden by a small low hanging tree. You do not want to be too far away and suffer with air turbulance.

I understand you have a camera mounting problem. You must solve that so you can concentrate on more important things. Tell me more. I will not use a universal mount because it was always out of adjustment. I like the body mount with threads around the lens but on the body. The Nikon P-6000 has those, as does the Lumix LX-3. Those cameras are still expensive. It is easy to epoxy attach body threads to the FH-1 that I like. A Lumix LX-5 filter attachment tube will then connect to a Baader Hyperion eyepiece. The 17mm is best, but a 13mm and 21mm are also available. Primes are favored over zoom eyepieces. These eyepieces are $140. USD.

I suggest hand holding the camera behind the scope eyepiece to find the ideal location, then measure it and find or modify an adapter to duplicate that position. DO NOT let the adapter determine the position. Gene
 
Have a look for a tripod spacer. This is a small plate that goes between the camera and base plate to raise it up by the thickness of the spacer.

Paul.
 
Kneonlight
Here is my foolproof adapter that is always in the correct position. It of course only attaches to the Baader eyepiece.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gene266/7164278415/in/photostream

PhotoSolve http://www.photosolve.com/main/product/index.html
may have an adapter to attach a threaded ring to your Eyepiece if you are sure you are happy with the zoom and do not want to get the Baader prime eyepiece. See the breakdown of parts that screw together in the attachment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gene266/7164278389/in/photostream

Here is a sparrow shot with my FS-10 (FH-1) and the attachment above. Select a large view. Gene
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gene266/7778422664/in/photostream
 
Gene, I don't think the Celestron Ultima will take a 1.25" astro eyepiece, you may be thinking of the celestron Regal spotting scopes which can do that.

I'm pretty sure the zoom eyepiece on the Ultima has a standard T-thread so some sort of coupling might be possible.

There's also fixed length eyepieces available for the Ultima but they aren't always threaded. A fixed length eyepiece should produce better image quality than the standard zoom.

Paul.
 
Thanks for the advice. I think the tripod spacer is the way forward - although having said that I have just ordered a new camera so will see how that fits first :)
 
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